Take A Breath (KibaxNaruto)
by VirulentFang
Summary: The Hidden Leaf Village is being reborn after the famed Akatsuki attack that surprisingly resulted in no casualties. People are rejoicing, except for Kiba Inuzuka, who's been harboring feelings of affection for who he believes is the wrong person. Rated M for strong language, some dark turns, and suggestive themes. Sequel is in progress.
1. Chapter 1

_ (Author's Note: Hay everybody! This is my first fic that I'm uploading, so, please forgive me if the formatting isn't entirely correct, or if there are a few errors. Feedback and critisism is much appreciated. This is still a work in progress; I'll be uploading chapters as soon as I get them done. Thanks everybody 3)_

"Shino? Hinata? What can I help you with?" The Fifth Hokage spoke happily, with a tone of relief in her voice.

Hinata spoke, holding her hands tightly together, as she always did. "W-We're really sorry to bother you... B-But we just wanted-"

"No!" Tsunade declared, shoving some papers off her desk. "I'm not busy at all."

Hinata and Shino gave each other a look, before looking over at Shizune, who was just looking at the floor as she let out a sigh. "Well, we needed your opinion. Kiba has been acting differently." Shino spoke up, breaking the heavy silence that envoleped the room.

"Can you be more specific?"

"W-Well..." Hinata explained, "He just isn't focusing on anything... he just seems so distracted, and restless."

"Why? We don't know. We tried to ask him if there was something bothering him, and he lashed out at us. He almost seemed as if he was offended." The insect weilder added.

Tsunade stood up and stretched, relieved to step away from her desk. Glancing out the window, she considered the options. The Hidden Leaf village was rebuilding quite well after the Akatsuki had reared it's ugly head. The breeze blew gently through the air, and the sun was setting far on the horizon. It shone beautifully, illuminating the stone faces of the Hokage who've watched over the village for so long. It was another beautiful day in the Land of Fire; There wasn't a reason to be thought of as to why somebody could be so upset. Even in the light of recent events, the people of the Leaf Village have a sense of love and community that have held them together for centuries now. Happiness filled the air.

"Does Kiba have an interest in anybody?" Tsunade finally spoke up, getting everybody's attention again.

Hinata and Shino both looked at each other for a moment. "Not r-really... Kiba hasn't ever mentioned anything like that, now that I think of it..."

"I agree..." Shino thought to himself out loud. "He hasn't said anything of that sort."

"Hm... Well, it's a possibility." Tsunade smiled slightly as she overlooked the village, and stretched a bit before she sat back down. "That can happen in the Inuzuka clan; you know how powerful their noses are. When they start to have a romantic interest in somebody, they get more accustomed to their scent. It's possible that Kiba's in love with somebody that he hasn't seen recently, so he's missing their smell."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage..." The Hyuga bowed respectfully, and then turned towards the door. "Shino, let's go find Kiba and talk to him about this. I-I mean, we are his friends... t-this is something he should be able to talk to us about, right?"

"I agree completely. The sooner Kiba can get his head cleared, the sooner we can get back to working on missions as a team again."

With that, the two were off to find their friend, and to confront him about whatever has been distracting him so badly. "Lady Tsunade..."

"Yes, I know. Since we're rebuilding the village, everybody's been here."

"The only person that isn't here, though, is..." Shizune spoke, as she picked up the papers on the floor.

Tsunade leaned back, and sighed. "Naruto. He should be on his way back from the Hidden Sand by now." As the papers were set back in front of her, Tsunade rubbed her eye. "Do I really need to do these? Can't we just go out to the bar instead?"

"Lady Tsunade, you've been putting these off for two weeks..."

"That isn't my fault!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Why can't I do anything right?"

A fragile leaf passed by, carried by a blanket of air. It slowly decended down from the gentle breeze, and created tiny, delicate ripples across the pond. The air felt purified, clean, and lively. Although the sun was just only starting to set, it was still a beautiful sight to behold. The children of the Hidden Leaf were still out and about, and although they didn't have much more time before dusk, they were still so lively, happy, and full of energy.

"I'm... just a failure, aren't I?"

_"__Almighty Push..." _Destruction flashed through the brunet's mind; the tragety that was brought apon everybody by Pain was still fresh in his mind. Regardless of how long ago it was, the emotion held heavy to Kiba Inuzuka. Time's passed, the village is nearing completeion of its repairs, and people are moving on and enjoying the here and now. Then why... just why is it so hard for him to do the same?

Kiba held the salient, serrated kunai in the palm of his hand. His breath hitched as he tilted it slightly, reflecting an image of himself apon it. Along with the setting sunlight, his distressed glare also formed a mirror figure that his eyes couldn't dare make contact with. He gripped it tightly in his hand, clenching his teeth together tightly, as he furiously threw the pale blade towards a lone target. Perhaps, somehow, this was a means of quelling his anger and frusturation. With a pained look, the dog boy raised his head, to see where his throw landed. "Damnit..." he sighed under his breath, staring lifelessly at the ninja weapon, which was now lodged in a tree.

"Naruto... Naruto's become a big hero. I-I... I'm nothing compared to him... I made it my goal to surpass him, but, it's clear that I can't even catch up to him... That damn bastard from the Akatsuki attacked, and... I was powerless..." The troubled shinobi found his legs feeling weak. As he slowly sat himself down on the gentle grass, tears swelled in his eyes and his face reddened.

"K-Kiba! Are you alright?!"

_"Not them again..."_ He thought to himself as he wiped his eyes and turned to see Hinata and Shino approaching him.

Hinata, being the gentle and caring nature that she is, sat herself down next to the sniffeling brunet and tried to comfort him. Shino, on the other hand, glanced around the training yard. The scattered kunai peaked his interest, and he glanced back over towards his dog-loving companion. _"Has he been practicing...? He hasn't hit the target a single time..."_

"Damnit!" Kiba shouted defensively, looking down at the ground and trying to hide his face. "I already told you guys to just leave me alone!"

Hinata gently tried to place her hand on his shoulder, only for him to shrug it off, and scoot away like an upset little kid. "Kiba, p-please... We just need to talk to you; we're getting so worried about you..."

"I don't know why you should! I'm terrible at everything I do! There are so many better teammates you two could have besides me; You know, it just makes me sorry for you guys to be stuck with me!"

"Kiba, seriously; You need to hear yourself right now. You're one of the best friends that we could possibly have. You were the best at everything you've done." Shino adjusted his insect-weilder glasses, and crouched down next to the other members of Team Eight.

The Hyuga sighed, and looked towards the target, which has yet to have a mere scratch on it. "We have to do our best, Kiba! Naruto's become so strong, and it's our job to keep up so we don't have to keep relying on him."

_"Naruto..." _Kiba thought to himself, as he froze completely. "Stop it, Hinata... just..."

"W-What is it?"

"Stop mentioning Naruto all the damn time like that! Stop acting like you're the only one!" Kiba shouted as loud as he could, as he rested his head between his knees.

_"Why... why did I have to be like this?" _He speculated to himself. The boy closed his eyes tightly as tears dropped from them, and he tried harder to hide his face. Was this all that he could do? Desperately cringe and shake like a fool in front of his friends; Look weak and pitiful in front of the people we wanted to protect? The only thing that Kiba Inuzuka wanted there, in that moment, was to dissolve, vanish, and be gone in an instant. To be reduced to cinders, and to never show his face to anybody, ever again.

Both Shino and Hinata now had concerned looks on their faces, and started to become fearful and frightened themselves, as if infected by a contagious form of sadness. "The only one, to what?"

As the brunet held his breath tightly, he looked up towards his friends, and declared a statement with as much emotion as he could. "Stop acting like you're the only one who's in love with Naruto!"


	3. Chapter 3

_ (Author's Note: Ah! This story hasn't even been up for a whole day yet, but it's gotten over 100 views, and people are already following~ Thanks to all of you, it makes me soo happy~! My goal is to try to get a chapter up every day, or every other day. Luckily I have free time on my hands, so, I should be able to accomplish this. Anyway, without further delay, here's Chapter Three!)_

_ "I must be the only one..." _Kiba mindlessly thought to himself, as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Hinata and Shino were saying something to the poor boy, but he didn't care. He couldn't even hear them; He was too busy suffocating himself with his own thoughts. _"A guy... that... likes other guys..."_

"Kiba! P-Please... talk to us! Say something!"

_"It just... doesn't make any sense... Am I some sort of freak or something? A powerless, pathetic freak?!" _His tears gently fell, delicately dropping down on the grass below him. The breeze started to pick up, gently sending more leaves through the air. The sun was setting further, and dusk was creeping along. The rules are for people to head home before it got too murky out, but the thought didn't cross the boy's mind. No way in hell did he have the moxie to rebound home, after today.

In that moment, he decided to take action, not bothering to comprehend where it might lead him. The sunlight was dissapating, and the moon was taking it's turn as ruler of the sky. The kunai reflected the faint light, each holding a representation of Kiba Inuzuka's exasperation, pain, and frustration. As he slowly stood himself up, a teardrop's image could, too, be seen, only for a mere second before it became absorbed into the ground. In that moment, he decided to take action, even if it would help or not. He decided to run, without a thought as to where. Anywhere he could go, so long as it wasn't here. Anywhere he could go, to escape the enclosing misery that surrounded him so.

Away from the rest of Team 8, away from the training grounds, and away from everything that reminded him of what he was. Kiba Inuzuka decided to distance himself, and flee from his ensnaring curse. Past the training grounds he went, further away from his compassionate friends. Anybody could have heard the sound of his sandals crashing against the road as he ran, but it didn't matter. Shops were closing down, and people began returning to their homes. _"__They'd never understand." _Kiba convinced himself, and continually ran past everything, and everybody. It only took a few minutes for the athletic shinobi to reach the edge of the village, considering that he was one of the fastest around. To him, it didn't seem like it, however. It felt like hours, running and cowering with a heavy pressure bearing down on him.

Apon reaching the fence that ran along the edge of the village, he collapsed to the ground, and tried once more to hide his flustred face. _"I don't know what to do... I don't know who to talk to; I just don't know anything anymore!" _The world was delayed, decaying in slow motion around him. Although he's acting like somebody who's mad, and upset, the true problem is that Kiba Inuzuka is fearful, and confused. Of course, somebody like Kiba would never be able to admit that he's scared. Using what strength he has left, the troubled brunet desperately tried to jump over the fence, only to barely make it up before his foot slipped.

"Damnit!" He cried out, as his leg became impared by a sharp piece of wood from the old, rickety fence. In that moment, his other foot slipped, and he lost his grip. A fall that was only mere seconds seemed to last minutes to Kiba, as his back slammed against the ground, and he found himself laying lifelessly on the other side of the fence. "Shit..." he cringed, his belly rising and decending as he breathed heavily. Much to his difficulty, Kiba managed to sit himself up, slowly, and painfully.

Stars were starting to appear above the Leaf Village, elegantly painting the night sky into a beautiful portrait; one that's worth a million words. Kiba caught himself gazing up at the sky, completely oblivious to the pain he's in. "I wonder what the stars have wittnessed over the years..." He softly spoke to himself, happy to set his mind on something peaceful and relaxing for a change. Blood that matched the color of his cheek fangs was slowly dripping down, dyeing the grass as if somebody had spilled a jar of cherries. A small puddle began to from underneath of his leg, but not that he cared. The dog boy's snaggle tooth reflected the moonlight, as well as his shining eyes, which were scrutinizing the ill-lighted sky for any sense of hope. Somehwere, in the back of that twisted mind of his, he'd already convinced himself that pain was something he deserved.

It took a while before Kiba's focus came back to the reality of his situation. "Fuckin piece of wood..." He sighed, and grasped it tightly. As he closed his eyes securely, he yanked it out of the side of his leg, with a loud, painful groan. It was six or seven inches long, perhaps, and the end of it was soaked in his dark crimson blood. The tormented brunet opened his one eye slowly and gently, staring at the wooden material for a few moments before throwing it aside, towards the old fence. A small number of sweat drops rolled down his face, and his breathing became heavy. _"__I'm really losing it..." _He thought to himself painfully. _"I can't even climb over an eight foot tall fence without fucking up..."_


	4. Chapter 4

_ (Author's Note: A big thanks to everybody that's favorited/is following this story! I promise that I'll get to the romance sooner or later. I've also started and gotten the first chapter up of my **Attack on Titan** fanfiction as well. I'm going to attempt to work on both stories simoultaniously, so, we'll see how that goes. Anyway.)_

"Man!" The Hero of The Hidden Leaf strutted along the dirt pathway that lead to the village. "These trips to the Hidden Sand always feel so long..." He muttered to himself, resting his hands behind his head. He gently closed his eyes, and felt the cold breeze as it tore against his skin.

Suddenly, Naruto Uzumaki stopped, and froze. _"There's nothing you can do... You couldn't even give me an answer." _His bright yellow hair waved smootly under the moonlit sky, as he looked towards the ground with a guilt-stricken look in his eyes. _"So, should I just wait here? Should I just sit and do nothing while you bring this supposed peace to the world?!" _Naruto recalled the pain-filled words that were spoken to him. The words of somebody who's loved, been hurt, and learned to hate. He recalled the frusturated claims, as he wittnessed his comrades and friends die before his eyes. But, more importantly, in that moment, Naruto recalled the words that were spoken to him by somebody who'd changed; The words spoken to him from somebody that was willing to give up everything in his last few moments.

"Sensei... Nagato..." He clenched his fist tightly, and continued to walk, stricken with motivation. "I won't let either of you down! I'm going to become Hokage... And I _will_ find the true meaning of peace! I'll share it with the world!" Naruto ran foward as quickly as he could, eager to return to the village and help with the remainder of the reconstruction. That is, of course, after he delived his report to the Fifth Hokage.

As the aspiring shinobi ran through the village, lights were switching off and people were returing home. The moon was illuminating the lonely streets, as usual, and leaves were gently dancing through the fragile breeze. He smiled as he passed the newly-opened shops and buildings, filled with joy at the sight of the village returning to what it was previously: before the people of the Hidden Leaf had experienced Pain, and the learned the lessons it can bring.

"Hm? What is it?" Tsunade yawned, lazily pulling her head off her desk.

Shizune handed the Lady Hokage a few sheets of paper, and turned to face the door. "Naruto just arrived. He's on his way up now."

"Ugh... Alright, you can just leave the door open. Go get some sleep; I'll be doing the same here as soon as I'm done talking to him."

"Yes, My Lady. Er... by the way, you need to have those done in two days, alr-"

"Granny!" Naruto shouted, bursting through the door, nearly breaking it in the progress.

Both Tsunade and her assistant sighed in unison. Shizune scooped up Tonton and casually walked out of the room, muttering _"Nevermind..."_ under her breath.

The Fifth Hokage stood up and stretched, spreading her view across the village through the glass panes that she hadn't gotten the chance to look through all day. There wasn't a day that didn't go by where she could be seen without her green Kake Kanji cloak, which reflected her personality, as well as her addiction. "So, how are things in the Hidden Sand?"

"Nothing out of the usual! They're glad to hear the reconstruction is wrapping up, ya'know?" The blond-haired boy put his hands behind his head and gently shut his eyes. "Garra wants to send a team over or something. They said that you should be expecting a bird sometime soon, or... uh, something like that, I guess."

Tsunade sat back down in her chair, looking at the papers on her desk, which brought a frown to her face."Alright. I'll let communications know. Is that all?"

"Uhn... Pretty much. Got any other cool missions I can go on?!" He requested happily.

"You know, you should just get some sleep. That's a pretty helpful one."

"Hey! I was just asking-"

One of the jonin from the Hokage's building stepped in through the doorway, and walked over towards Tsunade's desk. "Lady Hokage, I'm sorry to interrupt. There's two shinobi here that wish to see you."

"One minute, Naruto." She stood up once again, and stretched. "Who is it?"

The Jonin stepped aside, and the other two members of Team Eight entered the room. Hinata blushed, as she usually did when she was around Naruto, however, neither of them were making eye contact with anybody. Both of them had a saddned, but also frightened look on their faces. Neither said anything for a few moments, and the air grew tense and heavy. Even Naruto, who was still unaware of the situation, could feel the bearing pressure that surrounded everybody around him. "W-Welcome back, Nar... Naruto..."

Smiling sightly, he leaned back against the wall. "Thanks... What's up with you guys? And, hey, isn't the mutt supposed to be trailing behind ya?" Naruto chuckled to himself quietly, amused with himself, but not wanting to ruin the mood of the room.

"So... I assume that you're here because I was correct?" Tsunade inquired, as if she didn't hear Naruto.

"Yes... Kiba ran off somewhere, and we could have persued him, but... We just didn't know if it would have been the right thing to do." Shino replied coldly, keeping his gaze on the flooring.

"Hmn? Kiba's gone? Don't worry you guys, I'll go find him!" Naruto happily said, as he strutted towards the door.

Hinata cringed, and walked towards the door anxiously alongside him."W-Wait Naruto! I... I don't know if that would be the best-"

"Don't worry!" He grinned, putting his hand on her shoulder. "I'll use my Sage Mode, and it'll be a piece of cake!" Naruto rushed off, leaving his friends with one of the most abnormal feelings anybody's had in a long time.

As he rushed down the moonlight streets of the Leaf Village, Naruto occasionally took the time to glance up at the night sky. _"I wonder what the stars have wittnessed over the years..." _He thought to himself happily, imagining the creation of the proud village, all those years ago. Deep down, Naruto knew that he was to blame for the destruction of the village; If it wasn't for that damn Kyuubi, Pain never would have came to the village in the first place. Even so, Naruto Uzumaki still had a smile on his face as he passed by all of the assorted buildings that were celebrating their grand openings, rejuvinating their old services, and being moved into by eager families. Things turned out the way they did, and nobody was to blame because of it. Everyone's still here, happy and healthy, and ready to look towards the future of what's in store for the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Let's see..." The shinobi thought to himself out loud, as he stopped at an intersection. He survayed the buildings, looking for any sort of good vantige point. As he quickly jumped forward, he grabbed onto side of some sort of shop, climing his way up to the roof with ease. As he stood up, at the top of the building, he was able to see pretty far across the reborn village. It was a wonderful sight, and it feels so amazing every single time you get to look at something through a different perspective.

"Hmn... Er... I haven't actually had the time to learn everybody's chakra yet..." Naruto noted to himself as he sat down atop the building. He took a deep breath and relaxed as he felt the presence of the nature energy around him. It wasn't too much longer before the rust-colored shades around his eyes appeared, and he slowly opened them, viewing the village in yet another revolutionary perspective. He slowly stood up, taking note of the breeze that nipped against his bare skin. "Alright... Let's find Kiba."

The Senjutsu user quickly jumped down from the building, and ran down the main pathway through the village as he tried to distinguish one person's chakra from the other. Unfourtunately, it wasn't any use to him. Nothing stood out with any resemblence to the brash and hot-headed dog lover that Naruto knew. Minutes passed, slowly and dauntingly, as Naruto continued to search for his companion. The longer it took, the more and more concerned he got that something bad had happened. Eventually, the panicked shinobi reached the edge of the village before finally stopping. _"Is that... Kiba's chakra? It could be... it's faint, but..." _Deciding to hold on to the hope that the missing member of team Kurenai could still be found unharmed, Naruto desperately tried to follow the trail, however subtle it may have been.

It wasn't too much longer, but time revolves in slow motion around people like Naruto, that are fearing for the well-being of another person. As his sandals clashed against the ground with each step, he was getting warmer and warmer towards where the miniscule trail was leading him. "Damnit!" He barked angirly, as he reached a fence that surrounded a portion of the village. The liner around his eyes slowly dissipated, and his vision returned to normal after a few moments. _"Damn Sage Mode..." _He cursed to himself as he stopped to catch his breath. _"I'm almost there anyway! Just over this fence!"_

Naruto jumped over the fence, eager to continue searching, when a small splashing sound sent shivers to his ear. His heart became paralyzed as he stood up, took a couple steps back, and fearfully looked towards the ground. His pale reflection stared back at him, mimicking the terror on his face. The moon was shining down around him, poorly illuminating the foggy forest. The unreal image before him was a small pool of cold maroon blood. A few splats of dried blood could also be seen on the other side of the old, rickety, wooden fence. As he took a nervous gulp, he lifed his foot up to see his freshly-dyed blood red sandal. _"__N-No... This... This can't be Kiba's... There's no way..." _Naruto cringed as his head began to torture him, practically trapping himself in his own genjutsu. _"Please... Please don't tell me that Kiba's... d-dead..."_


	5. Chapter 5

"Urg..." Kiba groggily opened his eyes part way, but squinted them shut as blinding light flashed before him. He slowly opened his eyes again, to find himself on a hospital bed. _"Where... What happened...?" _He flinched and grinded his teeth together as he attempted to sit up; sharp pain viciously tore at his right leg. Glancing down, he noticed that his pants were nowhere to be seen, and that his leg had blood-soaked bandages delicately wrapped around it. Sighing unhappily to himself, he laid back against the pillows and closed his eyes gently. Kiba took a deep breath in, and his nose twitched slightly. _"What smells so... s-so... damn..."_

"You should take it easy, ya'know? You could have died, dog breath."

Kiba jumped, startled, and his eyes quickly glanced to his right as a drop of sweat rolled down the side of his nervous face. _"It's... N-No... I thought he was on a misson?!" _His eyes slowly traced the figure of Naruto Uzumaki, who was gazing out the window at the village. As he turned around to face his dog loving companion, Naruto flashed that cheeky half-smile of his. "Even smaller wounds can be deady when you lose a lot of blood, right? You know that, don't you?"

_"H-He... __Brought me here__?" _Kiba's face slightly flustered as he gazed downwards, swallowing his pride and choking out a gawky remark. "Y-Yeah..."

Naruto soflty walked towards Kiba, each footstep sending shivers down the Inuzuka's spine. He gently sat himself down at the edge of the bed, and turned to face the injured boy with a smile that felt warm and kindhearted. "Mind telling me why you were on the outskirts of the village? 'Cuz, nobody else will tell me anything, even though they know."

Kiba's heart skipped a, well... a half-a-dozen beats, and he looked away from the boy in an attempt to hide his blushing face. He opened his mouth in an attempt to stutter out something, anything, really, only to just let out a nervous squeak. _"Why can't I s-say anything...?"_

"Hey." The blond-haired boy gently rested his hand on the brunet's leg, causing him to flinch at the contact against his bare skin; mostly because he was emberrased, but also partially because his leg just had a chunk of wood lodged painfully in it. "I want to be the person that you can come to when there's a problem. I want to be the person that'll always be there for you when you need me." Naruto stood up, and walked back towards the window, gazing out at the village once more. "I know you want to act tough, but you don't have to do that around me, Kiba..."

As he slowly and carefully sat himself up in the uncomfortable hospital bed, Kiba glanced over at Naruto's figure. His reflection in the window revealed that his face was also a bit flustered, perhaps with a light blush just like his own, but Kiba shrugged it off and rubbed his eyes, getting a bit of maroon face paint on the side of his hand in the procress. He was likely just imagining it, anyway, given how exhausted he was. After a few more moments of heavy silence, the atmosphere in the room was finally cracked, and started crumbling apart. "I... Just wanted to be alone. I just wanted time alone."

"Huh? What, to bleed to death without anybody knowing?"

Kiba growled slightly and sat forward, finally, since the pain was starting to slowly fade away. "No, you idiot! You think the fence breaking was part of my plan?!"

"Alright, alright, man... Calm down, you dirty mutt."

"Bastard." Kiba barked, averting his gaze as he felt that senseless, yet farmiliar, fuzzy, tingly feeling in his chest. _"It's Naruto... Naruto's what smells s__o damn... delicious..." _

Much to the dazed lover boy's suprise, Naruto quickly walked over and hugged him tightly, squeezing the air out of him. "Don't you know how worried everybody was?!" He remarked sheepishly, with a choked-up and painful tone in his voice.

At first, Kiba didn't know what to think, say, or do; His heart practically froze, but he embraced Naruto delicatly without even realizing it, as if his body had acted on it's own. He lovingly nuzzled his head against the boy's shoulder, burying his face against the soft, tender skin of Naruto's neck. Kiba took in a long, deep breath, and his sensitive nose confirmed that it was indeed Naruto's scent that was driving him to the brink. As he gently closed his eyes, a single teardrop rolled down his cherry-colored cheek, dropping gracefully down and soaking into Naruto's coat. _"That's not what he meant to say..." _Kiba completely lost the ability to think straight, but one detail remained clear to him. _"He meant to say... How worried 'I' was..." _Both boys where blushing brightly, but neither could see the other's face, anyway. They remained like this for another fifteen minutes or so, passing the time away, as Naruto occasionally stroked Kiba's hair with a delicate touch. _"__Does this mean that he knows? Or... Does this mean that he likes me, t-too?"_ Kiba assured himself that he'd probably drive himself insane with the endless list of questions he could come up with. He still was clueless about what stupid phrases he should try to gawk out, and being perfectly honest, he didn't want to anyway. He'd come up with the presumption that there was likely a rare chance that a moment like this could even happen, even in his wildest dreams. Kiba decided to stay silent and let his deep breathing and soft, gentle purring do all the talking.


	6. Chapter 6

_ (Once again, I just want to thank everybody that's following this story or has favorited it. It brings a smile to my face to learn that people are enjoying this story, and hopefully you'll all enjoy my other stories that are still to come! My plan is to focus on finishing this story up, so I can work on some others. I don't have a plan as to how long this story will be; I'll just see where it leads, I suppose. Also, this story is rated M for a reason [hint, hint] so there may be content that people may dislike in these next few chapters; Just wanted to make sure everybody knew~ Anyway, sorry for the delay [again] and here's chapter six!)_

The plesant sound of birds chirping filled the room, and the bright morning sunlight seeping in through the windows awoke Kiba, who was still laying on the uncomfortable hospital bed. Somebody had additionally opened the windows, and a gentle breeze gusted through the room, spreading the smell of freshly cut grass. In a pathetic attempt to open his eyes and get up, Kiba found himself growling and shutting his eyes tightly, in the hopes of blocking out the harsh rays of the sun. Although it felt plesant, and a peaceful atmosphere filled the room, he was still exhausted and din't want to have to get up just yet.

Another few minutes passed, and eventually Kiba found himself sitting up, yawning, and stretching lazily. He leaned forward and attempted to stand up when he suddenly realized that his leg felt rejuvinated, and the blood soaked bandages had dissapeared. Only a small scar was visible, which he softly ran his fingers across. It didn't hurt. More than that, it didn't even ache or feel the slightest bit sore.

"You lost a lot of blood, ya'know?" Kiba spun around to see Naruto leaning against the doorway. "Sakura stopped by and took care of your leg after you fell asleep. She said we're both idiots, and to make sure you got this." His extended arm was grasping onto a bottle of water, that had _"Kiba" _ written on the side of it in a sloppy manner.

"O-Oh..." Kiba slowly reached out and took it from him, holding it tightly in his hands. "Thanks..."

Naruto walked over and made himself comfortable on the bed next to Kiba's, resting his hands casually behind his head as he closed his eyes gently. "Have something on your mind, mutt?"

Kiba blankly stared at the bottle, which he held tightly in his lap. He felt like he had a lump in his throat, and his hands were slightly shakey. A minute passed before he regained the ability to think clearly. "What do you think of me?" He blurted out suddenly and nervously, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Hm?" Naruto opened his eyes and looked towards the brunet, who had a flustered look in his face. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean?" He boldly replied, as his blush intensified.

Naruto sat up, and turned to face him, startled and confused. "Er..." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, feeling a bit stupid for not knowing what he was apparently supposed to know. "I...I dunno."

Kiba groaned unhappily, and turned to face Naruto with an emberrased look on his face. "I'm talking about last night, you idiot!"

"Oh!" Naruto grinned and chuckled like a small child that had just caught up with an ice cream truck. "I think you make some pretty cute noises when you're sleeping!"

Kiba's face grew redder than it has in a long time, and he sat there, paralyzed, wondering to himself if he had some sort of hearing disorder or something. "S-Shut up..." He croaked out, at a loss for words. His heart was pounding teremendously fast, as he gripped the water bottle as tightly as he could. _"He's just teasing me, isn't he...? He just wants to make fun of me and make me look stupid... But how was I so stupid? I can't just fall asleep in his arms like that! Of course he obviously knows, now!" _Kiba spat curses at himself under his breath, wishing that he had the ability to go back and change the course of events. Of course, no shinobi that he knew of had the ability to do so, and unfourtunately Kiba had to deal with the present, and whatever else was to come. "L-Look Naruto, I'm sorry about that... I... I just-"

_"What...?!" _

Kiba's eyes opened wide, as he felt the tender sensation of soft lips against his own. The pathetic and meaningless excuse he was about to mutter was muffled, forcefully. His heart froze, perhaps for the dozenth time these past few days, and shivers tickeled their way down his already-weak spine. Naruto slowly pulled away from him, opening his lazy eyes halfway, and licking his bottom lip slowly in a slow and seductive manner. "Make me..." He soflty slurred, grabbing Kiba's wrist and pulling the shocked and confused dog-loving boy towards him. The brunet clumsily stumbled forward, and found himself leaning against the person his heart had been aching for. Their chests gently pressed against one another through their thin clothing, and their noses softly touched. "N-Naruto!" He squeaked innocently, still in loads of overall shock at the situation. He could feel Naruto's gentle heartbeat against his own, which filled him with a warm and fuzzy sensation.

"I think I _might_ just _kinda_ like you, dog breath."

_"I really hope nobody else is around right now..." _Kiba thought to himself, as he leaned forward a teensy bit more, just enough to force the two boys' lips into touching delicately. The water bottle he was keeping a hold on fell to the floor in a matter of seconds, because Kiba deemed it irrelevant at the moment. Instead, his arms wrapped tightly around the blond-haired boy, and his hands tightly gripped the back of his white t-shirt. It was only a moment later that he found himself closing his eyes, and tilting his head to the side, just slightly. Another few minutes passed, over what seemed like an hour to the infactuated couple, as they took turns gently sliding their hands up the other's shirts to feel the sensitive sensations the other's bare skin had to offer. Naruto broke the heat of the moment, leaning back slightly, pulling their embrace apart. "Want to get up, sometime today?

"Is 'no' the right answer?" Kiba moaned soflty, as if in a daze, wanting his dream-come-true to never end.

Naruto chuckled, and flashed that farmiliar cheeky half-smile of his. "Don't worry, there's plenty of time in a day." He stood up carefully, with regard to his companion's recent injuries, holding his warm hand tightly in his own. The wind kicked up a bit, flooding through the room and blowing both boys' hair softly. "But hey, how often do you get to have ramen for breakfast!?" A wide grin spread across the boy's face.

Kiba rasied an eyebrow and leaned his head against Naruto's shoulder, which, for some reason, gave him a soft, tingly feeling. "Or... we could get dressed first?"

"Hey! Don't take the fun out of it!" Naruto wrapped his arms carefully around Kiba and held him close, as if he was a fragile, but precious, work of art. "But... Well, alright. So long as you're buying!" The sound of Naruto's childish chuckle filled the room, forcing a smile out of the cuddly brunet. At least, for now, he didn't have a care in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

_ (**Important Note, Please Read:** So, It's been a little while. I know that you techically aren't "allowed" to do this halfway through the story, per say, but I'm going to be changing the point of view to a first person perspective. The sole reason I'm doing this is because I want to focus this story around Kiba more than Naruto, for some specific reasons. I'll have to get used to writing differently, but, oh well.)_

Of course, the ramen resturant of all places, is exactly where Naruto would want to get breakfast. Well, I don't really know what I was expecting. Even though he's just so predicitable at times, it still makes my heart race to be doing something like this with him – just the two of us, for the first time. This stupid village has seen it's fair share of losers and morons, I bet. When we were younger, I couldn't even see Naruto as anything but. I guess it's sort of funny how that worked out for me, huh?

"C'mon, stop lagging behind! We gotta get going and get the first couple bowls of the day!" Naruto squealed happily at me, and for a quick moment, his beautiful ocean-colored eyes made contact with mine. My heart always stops for a second when he looks at me, and I just can't seem to figure out why. It was a moment or two that passed; my eyes staring into the shining brilliance of his. "Shut up! I'm right behind you. I'm just... thinking."

A relaxed sigh slipped it's way out of my mouth, at which point I jogged forward a little bit to catch up to him, careful to be slow and gentle to my recently-mended leg. Of course, I'm happy. Countless thoughts ran their way through my mind in a variety of patterns, but one thing remaind true erregardless: Naruto was a part of them. Why did this even happen to me, though? Everything feels so convinient and happy, and if there's anything that I've learned about life, it's that things are _never_ all convienent and happy. This day; the gentle sun rising delicately over the horizon, along with the scent of various plants and flowers, just doesn't feel right. To but it boldy: it doesn't seem believable.

As we arrived at our destination, the smell of recently cut meats and freshly prepared noodles swarmed my nose, which twitched slightly. Not even a moment later, my belly could be heard growling, and Naruto could be seen grinning because of it. "One giant bowl of the best ramen there is?" I was asked, as he grabbed a hold of my arm and pulled me towards the resturant. Realizing that I haven't even eaten in a day, my face grew slightly red as I choked out my sheepish response. "Y-Yea..."

"Oh, what're you being so shy and thoughtful about?" I felt Naruto grasp ahold of my wrist tightly, and a slight shiver trickled it's way down my spine.

"Nothing... I-I just..." Why does it have to be so hard to speak sometimes?

I honestly can't even really figure out what's on my mind, and I never even really know what I'm supposed to say. I suppose that it didn't really matter, because a moment or two later, I felt his soft, warm hand take a hold of mine, and hold it a gentle, but firm manner. I cringed at first, and looked at him carefully; this new feeling seemed so daunting to me at first. "Don't you know what I've done with this hand?" I muttered uncomfortably, not really knowing how to react.

He chuckled and grinned, and I found my crude comment returned to me. "Don't _you_ know what _I've_ done with this hand?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Once again, I felt myself swell up with that farmiliar feeling of emberrassment and anxiety as my face grew to become a bright crimson color. Damn bastard, that Naruto.

"So when are we eating?" I asked shyly, making sure to avoid eye contact.

I felt his strong grip tighten a bit, and a wide smile remained on Naruto's face. "Right now!" He chriped, dragging me inside the resturant.

It was only a second after we stepped foot in the resturant.

In one mere instant, pain began searing it's way through my body. I squinted my eyes at the harsh darkness before me; I couldn't see a thing. It feels like I'm just staring blankly at the harsh rays of the sun, but, instead of sunlight, all I can see is darkness. The world began to slowly fade around me as I slowly grew more and more dizzy; In one mere instant, I felt as if somebody clamped my throat tightly shut with a rope of dense, solid steel.

"N-Naruto!" I choked out painfully, as I found myself collapsing on the cold, hard, lifeless stone floor. What's... happening? If there really was such a meaning behind torture, I'm certain this would be it. All I could even hear was the sound of my teeth, clenching tightly together and deeply suppressing my pained whimpers and moans. Torment could distincly be felt in each and every single one of the cells of my pathetic body. I desperately tried to open my eyes, and observe a thing – anything at all that I could see, but pitch dark, endless, and forsaken murkiness is the only thing that's surrounding me.

Each moment of my life felt as though it could have lasted minutes, and it only took a few moments before I couldn't handle living in hell anymore. I shut my eyes tightly as I desperately yelped and wailed, in a miscellaneous feeling of disorientation, misery, and pure melancholy. My entire body was practically numb; I couldn't see, hear, or even feel anything around me from the outside world. I could feel a few tears journey down the sides of my face before, not too soon after, the entire world around me became as lifeless as dusk.

_(I'm a bitch for having not one, but two negative turns in this story, huh?_

_ Life has been... upsetting for me recently, well, to say the least. I'm still going to be working on this story, whenever I get the chance to. Sorry for the delay; I know that there are some people who're pretty anxious to see where this leads. As I've already told a few people: This story just happens as it goes. I don't plan anything out; I just write whatever comes into my head. I promise things'll work out in the end. Maybe.)_


	8. Chapter 8

One of the things I had always cherished was the gentle breeze, on a slightly hot day, while the sun is finally starting to go down. I don't truly know if I can think of anything more peaceful to me, besides an elongated visit to the steam of a hot spa. Either way, there's always a limit to things that can really calm me down. After the academy, Naruto was also added to that list. When you think about it, it's pretty ironic, since that idiotic bastard pisses me off sometimes. Being in a different team than him, it made it seem even more special when I saw him. Usually, it was when all the other guys were around, and for some reason I always just seemed to like him more. I don't even know how long it was, but eventually I realized that I was starting to act like Hinata.

_"Kiba! Come on! Get up!"_

As strange as it was, I'd always thought that Naruto smelled so amazing. More and more, I just wanted to be around him. I wanted to cherish and bask in every opportuinity I had to see him; his smile, and his confident blue eyes. Every day of my life, I questioned what they saw in me. Every night of my life, I'd lay awake with Akamaru next to me, wondering if there was any sense or sanity in the way that I looked at him. Never once did I even bother to care what anybody thought; nobody except for him. Never once did I let my impulses or desires get the upper hand; never once did I even truly understand.

_"You damn mutt, get up!"_

There wasn't anything on the planet that moved me more than the Uzumaki's determination and perserverence. Living with a beast inside of you; I can't image how unsettling that sort of lifestyle could even be. On and on and on, that stupid little kid ran his mouth about how he'd become Hogake one day, and how he'd save the village and become one of the greatest shinobi ever. We sat back and laughed; laughed at how much of an idiot one person could really be. We doubted him time after time, and what did he do? That bastard did exactly what he said he would; he surpassed us all before our very eyes. _I_ want the same level of confidence in myself as he does, but I know that I'll never be as resilliant and inspirational as him, no matter how hard I dare try.

As I slowly found the strength to open my eyes, just a crack, the same farmiliar sensation was waiting for me. Pain; something that I've come to experience all too much of, both physically, and internally. The sweet taste of misery overcame me; poison in my mouth, as I pitifully glanced to my side. Dust and shadows obscured my view, only to fade away as I realized that they hadn't actually manifested in the first place. It was too foggy and murky for me to see a foot in front of me, but my eyes slowly adjusted to the blinding darkness as a pair of shining blue eyes met my own. A weak smile began to form on me, only to quickly dissapate when I realized something crucial. Those brilliant shining blue eyes had lost their light, and now they only showcased the distorted display of concern and sadness.

"Whatcha so down about, little fox?" I gagged and coughed, sending a piercing shock wave of pain throughout my body. My chest had the force of a moon practically grinding against it, and my lungs felt as if they were crushed and shattered.

"Damnit!" He shouted, caressing my leg gradually. His soft hands gently ran over the bandages that circled around the wounded deformation of my leg. "I thought you were going to fucking die!"

I flinched slightly, and gently rested my eyes. "Don't worry... Until I become Hogake, there's no way I'm gonna die."

"Shut the fuck up." He muttered desperately, hugging me tightly. I opened my eyes once more, but couldn't find the strength to raise my arms and return his embrace. A single teardrop could be felt upon my shoulder, and I smiled slightly.

I sighed, and leaned forward against Naruto's shoulder. "Well, you smell lovely today, don't you?"

"Take a breath, bastard." He softly spoke in my ear, pulling away from me and letting out a satisfied sigh. "Let's go, you need to get to the hospital."

"What's the rush...?" I murmered quietly, not wanting to have to move from my comfortable patch of grass, unaware of it's ensanguined nature.

The only response I got was Naruto grabbing and heaving me up, held tightly in his arms, as if I was his bride and he was the groom. "Fine, fine! Put me down, I'll walk." I said timidly, as I could feel the steady heartbeat in his chest.

"No, you can't."

"Yes, I can! I'm not two!" A small blush rose to my face, and I pouted, knowing that I couldn't win an argument against him, given my current situation.

I heard him snicker for a second, and his heartwarming smile finally returned to greet me again. "I know you've got pride, Kiba, but sometimes you need to understand that you can't do everything on your own."

I snickered directly back at him, taking his words to heart, not that I'd admit that. I glanced with a grimace at the disorientated fence as we passed it. "I could say the same to you, idiot." I shut my eyes and nearly fell asleep as w̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶d̶e̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶y̶ Naruto made his way through the Leaf Village, and the wind tickled us both. It was one of the most relaxing times I've ever had, ignoring the pain I was in, of course, and I savored each second of it, knowing that it would only be a temporary occasion. "Good to see you again, Naruto..."

"Good to see you again, Kiba." He said to me, with a sincere and heartfelt tone in his voice. For the first time since the Akatsuki attack, I think I may have finally been able to calm down, and relax, even if only for a bit.

_(I suppose that in the end, you can only dream; ignore reality for so long, before it comes back, shadows and darkness blazing, to haunt you yet again, until the time that your dreams resume; if they choose to do so. -Fang_

_ Final chapter of this story, as it stands. A big thank you to everybody who took time to read this Fanfiction. I have an endless list of n̶e̶g̶a̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ comments about this story, my writing style, etc. I'm too much of a perfectionist, and every chapter I write, I realize how stupid and flawed it's predeccesor was._

_ However. I can't deny the fact that Naruto and Kiba make one of the cutest pairings (in my opinion) so... Keep an eye out for the sequel to this story. Because, __**believe it**__, it'll happen.)_


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